Multimodal response characteristics of convective liquid metal sensitive layers in flexible pressure sensor

Abstract

The development of electronic skin, soft robots, and smart wearables has significantly driven advances in flexible pressure sensing technology. However, traditional multilayer solid-structure flexible pressure sensors encounter challenges at temperatures between 100 °C and 150 °C due to high-temperature modal distortion. Changes in the conductivity of the sensor’s conductive components interfere with accurate pressure measurement. In this research, a flexible pressure sensor with a convective liquid metal sensitive layer is proposed. The sensor uses a cyclic self-cooling mechanism to lower the temperature of its conductive components, reducing the impact of external high temperatures on the pressure measurement accuracy. At a 2.8 W thermal load, the flexible sensor, with liquid metal circulating at 2.0 mL/min, exhibits a sensitivity of 0.11 kPa⁻¹ within the pressure range from 0 to 12.5 kPa, and its maximum measurable pressure is 30 kPa. In addition, the resistance of the sensor is 18.5 mΩ less than that of a stationary liquid metal sensor, representing a 38.1% reduction. The sensor proposed in this research introduces a novel strategy for pressure measurement in high-temperature applications, extending the application scope to aircraft, special robots, and hydraulic oil circuits. (Figure presented.)